Our planning services help farming businesses understand their land-use options and navigate the approvals required to support growth and long-term sustainability. Early engagement ensures informed decision-making before design, investment, or construction begins, and enables early identification of legislative, regulatory, and authority requirements.
By being involved from the outset, we assess regulatory pathways and associated risks before significant commitments are made. Our work includes providing strategic advice, identifying opportunities, and ensuring compliance with planning frameworks and relevant authorities. In addition to identifying pathways to gaining regulatory approvals supporting on-farm projects.
We support a broad range of agricultural projects, including:
- Horticultural and almond processing facilities
- On-farm worker accommodation
- Tourism-related diversification
- Land-use rezoning
- Subdivision and consolidation for land-management goals
These projects require careful navigation of planning controls, such as zoning, environmental and heritage considerations, servicing requirements, access, and interface impacts.
We assist clients with rezoning proposals where land no longer suits its current zoning or where new uses – such as rural industry, logistics, or worker accommodation – require more flexibility. Rezoning can also support business restructuring, generational change, and diversification, and is often paired with subdivision to improve lot efficiency, formalise operations, or separate incompatible uses.
An example of one such project supporting long-term agricultural vision was the rezoning of land to help align the land use with the businesses current and future farming goals, allowing expansion and greater utilisation of the site for almond processing purposes. Our engagement from early on allowed for the long-term rezoning of land to accommodate the full potential of activities for the business as it evolved to include greater storage and processing onsite in addition to on-farm accommodation. This included communications with state and local government regulatory authorities, adjoining landowners as well as facilitating appropriate controls, environmental and heritage analysis, access and servicing considerations, and potential interface impacts.
Early engagement of planning services ensures a nuanced approach, optimising landowner expectations and expenses. Agricultural operations are complex, seasonal, and constantly evolving. Our role is to provide clear, strategic planning advice and pathways to approvals that empowers landowners to grow sustainably, innovate with confidence, and achieve the best planning outcomes to grow and support farming operations.
To learn more please contact James Golsworthy on 0447 228 411 or jgolsworthy@pinionadvisory.com